7 News Belize

PM Says Deputy Vega's Comments Not Objectionable
posted (August 22, 2012)
The Prime Minister's Press Conference today as all about the missed Superbond Payment - but the media did manage to get in a few questions edgewise about other burning issues.

The first thing we wanted to know is: what was the PM's response to the remarkable interview given by his Deputy three weeks ago.

Vega freely admitted that he had quote "given" lands to his family members - and that he was entitled to do so because he was quote, "not a normal person in Belize" - a status earned by his, quote, "working much harder than other people."

The Prime Minister said he does not find that objectionable...

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"You see, I didn't see the interview, and I didn't see your piece. I don't know whether you put it quite like that in the piece. But, at least you're saying that if he said, he was not a normal person, he explained what he meant by that, 'I work harder than normal persons' If you just put that out there, 'I'm not a normal person,' that sounds awful. But, if you put it in context, then, it's not nearly so bad, is it? I just hope that you did put it in context for the news, as you're doing now. So put, 'I am not normal because I work harder than most people.' I find that unobjectionable."

And while the Prime Minister hemmed and hawed on that one - he all but stonewalled when it came to the question about "giving" land to family members:

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well, I don't know what the circumstances are. I don't know the exact degree of consanguinity of these various family members. If some included a third cousin twice removed, they then just become the normal electorate and constituents. So, I would need some more details before I would venture to answer your question."

Deputy Vega never disputed that the names on the list were his immediate family members.

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